Blues Point Tower
Blues Point Tower is an apartment block in Sydney, Australia. Located in McMahons Point, close to North Sydney, the tower is 83m tall with 144 apartments over 25 levels.[1] It is often regarded as one of the ugliest buildings in Sydney.[2][3]
[edit] History
Construction was completed in 1962, and it was Australia's tallest residential building until 1970.[2]
The architect was Harry Seidler and Associates, who had planned a high-density redevelopment for the entire suburb.[4][5] Reacting to a 1957 suggestion that the area be zoned for industrial use, Seidler proposed that McMahons Point could instead house hundreds of apartments, all with harbour views.[2] Although the industrial zoning was rejected, political support for Seidler's plan quickly faded, and Blues Point Tower was the only element of the plan to be built.
Seidler was commissioned by Dick Dusseldorp, through his company Civil and Civic.[1] The company's site office during construction was located in an 1870s Victorian villa named Bellvue, which formerly occupied the site.[4]
In February 2011, a six metre tall maritime radar was added to the building's roof.[6][7]
[edit] Criticism
Blues Point Tower is considered by many Sydney residents to be inconsistent with its surrounding buildings and cityscape.[8] Over time, many public figures have criticised it, or even called for its demolition.[3] However, in 1993, North Sydney Council added the building to its local heritage register.[9]
"Come on, this is old news, stupid bloody nonsense, I'm sick to death of it. ... I've always thought Blues Point Tower is one of my best buildings and I stand by that. Anybody who can't see anything in it ought to go back to school."—Seidler, responding to questions from journalist Stephen Lacey[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Stephen Lacey (28 September 2002). "Towering ambition". Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/09/27/1032734319538.html. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ a b c David Dale (17 May 1991). "Eyeful tower". Sydney Morning Herald. http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?kw=Eyeful+tower&pb=smh&sf=headline&docID=news910517_0105_4326. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ a b Anne Susskind (30 July 1995). "Harry's Dream". Sydney Morning Herald. http://newsstore.smh.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?kw=blues+point+tower&pb=smh&sf=text&sf=headline&docID=news950730_0141_4460. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ^ a b Léonie Masson (April 2005). "From Track to Tarmac". North Sydney Council. http://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/resources/documents/38_Track_tarmac_walk1.pdf. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
- ^ "Seidler's scrapbooks - volume 2 (1957-1962)". State Library of NSW. http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/discover_collections/society_art/seidler/scrapbooks/seid3_turner/scrapbook2.html. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
- ^ Boel Eriksson (23 August 2010). "Heritage woe on the radar". The Mosman Daily. http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/heritage-woe-on-the-radar/. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
- ^ Phil Whitten. "New maritime radar". http://peewitppl.blogspot.com/2011/02/new-maritime-radar.html. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
- ^ Luke Benedictus. "Walkabout: #1 Blues Point Road". Time Out Sydney. http://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/aroundtown/walkabout--no1-blues-point-road.aspx. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
- ^ "Blues Point Tower". NSW Heritage Branch. http://www.heritage.nsw.gov.au/07_subnav_04_2.cfm?itemid=2180599. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
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Coordinates: 33°50′57″S 151°12′12″E / 33.84917°S 151.20333°E
